BEN YOUNGS INSIDE THE DRESSING ROOM

BEN YOUNGS has warned his team-mates: Get it wrong off the pitch and you can kiss goodbye to your World Cup dream.

Youngs sti l l recalls England’s disastrous 2011 campaign where the n a t i o n’s hopes were torpedoed by a succession of off-field controversies.

Last week’s pub fight involving players from the scrum-half ’s Leicester club at a training camp in Portugal has served as a timely reminder of the potential pitfalls for highprofile sports stars. Youngs said: “We’ve spoken about how off-field stuff can bring unneeded attention that affects momentum.

“You’ve just got to be smart adults. You’re representing the country and you’re representing each other.

“What you do has a knock-on effect on your team-mates and I feel this group is mature enough to make the right decisions.

“Hopefully, we won’t face any of those issues.”

Youngs, man of the match in England’s 37-0 defeat of Italy at St James’ Park on Friday night, added: “Sometimes guys will get it wrong, but in this group I think guys will look out for each other.

“We want to see Japan and have down time. If guys want to have a drink, that’s not a problem.

“The guys will police each other and make sure everyone makes the right decision.”

England went to the 2011 World Cup as Six Nations champions with hopes high of glory. But their campaign was d o g ged by problems, often involving alcohol.

Some incidents were disputed, but team boss Martin Johnson admitted: “If you leave yourself open for these headlines to be written, it drags us all into it. That is what makes me particularly angry.” A leaked report into the ill- fated trip accused some squad members of being more interested in “getting cash and caps than about getting better on the pitch”.

Youngs, who was just starting out on his international career then, heads to his third World Cup today as one of England’s most senior players with 89 caps.

He said: “I was part of 2011. But young guys saw that and know the effects it can have. I don’t need to patronise them.

“You can’t even compare what we are as this side and under this